Some bus riders on Thursday, April 2, expressed outrage at the ads, branding them "racist" and "terrible".

Blogger Pamela Geller, the head of the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI)Twitter: Pamela Geller

The Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia says it will run its own "Dare to Understand" ad campaign that promotes mutual understanding, respect and tolerance.

AFDI, which opposes US aid to Islamic countries, is led by blogger Pamela Geller.

The advert has already been run on the public transport systems in New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC. The group reportedly paid $30,000 (£20,200) for the Philadelphia ads.

Some Jewish groups were opposed to the ad campaign.

Nancy Baron-Baer, Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Philadelphia regional director said in a statement: "Pamela Geller and her anti-Muslim organisation, the American Freedom Defense Initiative, seeks once again to take its hateful anti-Muslim message to the public in the form of paid advertisements on public transportation. These ads are inflammatory and highly offensive.

"At the same time, ADL consistently maintains that government censorship is not the right response to hate speech. The League supports the free speech guarantees embodied in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, understanding that the best way to combat hateful speech is with more speech."

The Jewish Voices for Peace group in the city said in a statement: "The ugly message of Geller's advertisement is factually inaccurate and offensive in its misuse and trivialisation of Holocaust memory."